Darwin and His Children

His Other Legacy

Tim M. Berra

Contains detailed accounts of each of Darwin's children, about whom very little has been written.

Written by Tim Berra, an expert on Darwin and someone who has written successfully about Darwin.

Diverse and distinct stories, as Darwin's children each lived very different lives, some tragic, some successful.

Darwin and His Children

His Other Legacy

Tim M. Berra

Description

While much has been written about the life and works of Charles Darwin, the lives of his ten children remain largely unexamined. Most "Darwin books" consider his children as footnotes to the life of their famous father and close with the death of Charles Darwin. This is the only book that deals substantially with the lives of his children from their birth to their death, each in his or her own chapter. Tim Berra's Darwin and His Children: His Other Legacy explores Darwin's marriage to his first cousin, Emma Wedgwood, a devout Unitarian, who worried that her husband's lack of faith would keep them apart in eternity, and describes the early death of three children of this consanguineous marriage. Many of the other children rose to prominence in their own fields.
William Darwin became a banker and tended the Darwin family's substantial wealth. Henrietta Darwin edited Charles' books and wrote a biography of her mother. Three of Darwin's sons were knighted and elected Fellows of the Royal Society: Sir George Darwin was the world's expert on tides, Sir Francis Darwin developed the new field of plant physiology, and Sir Horace Darwin founded the world-class Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company. Major Leonard Darwin was a military man, Member of Parliament, and patron of early genetic research. This book, richly illustrated with photographs of the Darwin family, demonstrates the intellectual atmosphere whirling about the Darwin household, portrays loving family relationships, and explores entertaining vignettes from their lives.

Darwin and His Children

His Other Legacy

Tim M. Berra

Author Information

Tim M. Berra is Professor Emeritus of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology at The Ohio State University, and University Professorial Fellow at Charles Darwin University in Australia. He is the author of six previous books on evolution and biology, including Charles Darwin: The Concise Story of an Extraordinary Man. He is a three-time recipient of Fulbright Fellowships to Australia.

Darwin and His Children

His Other Legacy

Tim M. Berra

Reviews and Awards

"Darwin & His Children offers glimpses into the home life of the man who revolutionized biology and natural history. Each Darwin child's life is told in a readable essay [The book]goes a long way toward showing the very human side of a man many see merely as a symbol, for good or ill." --Mansfield News Journal

"The picture that the book presents is of that of a functional, relaxed family that held together despite illnesses and despite the controversies that followed Darwin's publications. The book brings together much information not previously accessible; it shows Darwin, as well as all his other characteristics, to be a loving, concerned parent with talented children. It is a welcome addition to the considerable literature that relates to Darwin himself, his work and his contemporaries." --Dr. John Hayman, in Australian Family Physician

"Berra's book by design presents no new scholarship, relying on secondary sources. It is nevertheless unique in two ways: it brings together in a single volume a synopsis of the lives of the Darwin children and it provides a collective family portrait." --The Quarterly Review of Biology

Darwin and His Children

His Other Legacy

Tim M. Berra

From Our Blog

February 12th has been coined Darwin Day because it marks the anniversary of the birthday of Charles Darwin. One could come up with several creative ways to celebrate the life of such an influential and revered scientistÃ¢â¬âbaking a cake with 73 candles in honor of Darwin's 73 years of life, or taking a walk through a local park or nature reserve in an attempt to make observations about wild animals, to name a few.